Modern CRM Transformation - Part 10: The First 90 Days After Go-Live

Signal Boost: "Fake Empire" by The National
Reflecting the emotional weight of post-launch uncertainty and the push to establish stability and rhythm.

The day the CRM platform went live was one of those moments you never forget.

After months of work, the switch flipped. Teams celebrated. Leaders breathed a little easier. It felt like crossing a finish line.

But if you treat go-live as the end, you're setting yourself up for trouble.

The truth is, the first 90 days after go-live decide whether the platform becomes a living product that evolves with the business, or slides quietly into "system maintenance" mode, losing momentum and value.

We knew this transition mattered, so we built a structured 90-day plan to bridge the gap from project to product.

Here’s how it worked.

Why the First 90 Days Matter So Much

After go-live, two dangerous myths often take hold:

Myth 1: "We're done. Now we just need to maintain it."

Myth 2: "Business outcomes will automatically keep improving."

Neither is true.

Without active leadership, teams lose clarity. Users lose trust. Early energy fades fast.

The first 90 days set the habits, rhythms, and expectations that either sustain continuous improvement, or quietly erode everything you worked for.

It’s a deliberate choice.

Our 90-Day Transition Plan

We structured the first 90 days into three clear phases.

Phase 1: Stabilise (Days 0–30)

Goal: Stabilise the platform and build early trust with users.

Key activities:

• Rapid defect triage and prioritisation
• Hypercare support model with embedded SMEs
• Regular platform health checks
• Targeted user feedback collection

Leadership focus:

• Visible support for users
• Fast decisions on fixes and improvements
• Active communication of early wins

We treated every user issue like an opportunity to earn trust.

Phase 2: Learn and Adapt (Days 31–60)

Goal: Start shifting from reactive support to proactive improvement.

Key activities:

• Conduct early experience user interviews
• Analyse real usage patterns
• Prioritise a first wave of improvements
• Build the first iteration of the continuous delivery backlog

Leadership focus:

• Celebrate learning, not just problem solving
• Shift team energy from fixing to evolving
• Reinforce the idea: "We’re just getting started."

We kept reminding everyone that real success wasn’t surviving go-live — it was delivering real outcomes after it.

Phase 3: Embed Product Ways of Working (Days 61–90)

Goal: Fully embed product rhythms and ownership.

Key activities:

• Kick off quarterly roadmap planning
• Define initial OKRs tied to business outcomes
• Launch regular product reviews and backlog refinement ceremonies
• Transition day-to-day ownership fully to product teams

Leadership focus:

• Protect product team stability and space
• Anchor every conversation back to outcomes
• Publicly celebrate the shift to a living product organisation

By Day 90, the CRM platform wasn’t a project anymore. It was a product, owned, evolving, and delivering value.

Risks If You Skip This Transition

If you don't actively manage the first 90 days, you risk:

• Teams drifting into endless support mode
• Users losing faith because feedback goes unanswered
• Leaders assuming the platform is “done” and disengaging
• Technical debt piling up quietly
• Energy, ownership, and momentum draining away

It's not a slow fade. It's a cliff. Catch it early, or it catches you.

Why It Worked

Because we treated the first 90 days as the beginning of a new journey, not the end of the old one, we:

• Maintained user trust right after launch
• Surfaced and tackled early issues quickly
• Embedded continuous improvement habits early
• Energised teams around real business outcomes

The CRM platform didn’t just survive. It started delivering measurable improvements within the first six months — onboarding time dropped by 40%, case handling times improved, and user satisfaction lifted sharply.

And it all started with how we handled the first 90 days.

What It All Comes Down To

Building a CRM platform that lasts doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you treat go-live as the real starting line, and build the habits, rhythms, and culture that keep the platform, the teams, and the business moving forward together.

The first 90 days are your chance to set that future in motion. Take them seriously. They matter more than you think.

Next Up: Part 11: The Assumptions Behind CRM Transformation Success.
Spot your assumptions early. What to do when the ground beneath delivery shifts.